Expansion of covert contacts between Saudi Arabia as well as Israel ‘highly likely,’ says Middle East expert

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In This specific handout photo provided by the Israel Government Press Office (GPO), US President Donald J Trump (L) as well as White House senior adviser Jared Kushner meet with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) at the King David Hotel May 22, 2017 in Jerusalem, Israel.

“the item can be probable in which there can be a U.S.-Israeli-Saudi plan from the generating to agree on what steps each will take in parallel to roll back the influence of Iran as well as its proxies in Syria, Iraq, Yemen as well as Lebanon,” Ottaway said.

Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz in November confirmed contact between his government as well as Saudi Arabia’s, although noted Riyadh’s desire to keep the item a secret.

“We have ties in which are indeed partly covert with many Muslim as well as Arab countries, as well as usually (we are) the party in which can be not ashamed,” Steinitz said, as reported by Reuters. “When ties are developing, whether the item’s with Saudi Arabia or with some other Arab countries… We keep the item secret.”

In June, Israeli Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz called on Saudi Arabia’s King Salman to allow full diplomatic relations.

Reports of rapprochement have also coincided with the growing influence of Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, who can be close to Washington, which can be of course a key Israeli ally.

NBC News reported in November in which “U.S. diplomats engage with both sides with the assumption in which the two parties speak directly,” according to former senior U.S. officials.

Daniel Shapiro, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, told NBC there were “considerable amounts of quiet, behind-the-scenes coordination between them — intelligence channels as well as some other security channels.”